Glass Bangles, Silver Arms: Poetry on the Ancients

L.L. here, with Random Acts of Poetry. There is something about history that intrigues. My eldest daughter is especially drawn to the mysteries. Why did people abandon the city of Milakpur Kohi? Was King Tut assassinated? What did the hanging gardens of Babylon really look like? The mystery, the questions, tap something deep in the human soul. I guess that's why I was drawn to nAncY's poem time. It asked, and I asked with it, in my heart...

o seven wonders of the world

where are you now

temple of the seven lights of earth

scattered as the people and their words

nebuchadnezzar's dream of a head of gold breast and arms of silver belly and thighs of brass legs of iron feet of iron and clay

the stone from the mountain will fly through the air

the druid circle undone as time moves on

tower of piza why do you lean

what happened to all the kings and queens and why is britain so great

presidents and gurus emperors and czars donkeys and chariots trains and cars out of the ancient into the moment of truth time to choose

“Most of the material on The High Calling is available for reuse under a Creative Commons 3.0 license. Unfortunately, work by Laura Barkat is not available for reuse. If you are interested in reprinting work by Laura Barkat, please contact her directly.”